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SISTERS OF THE HOLY CROSSSPRING/SUMMER 2020inSpirit

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4 Gratitude for creation, creativity

12 Raising Self-worth

Grant Them Peace

Celebrating Culture

Circle of Saints

Moreau Garden

Dear Friends,

As I write this message, the Church will soon be celebrating Pentecost. In the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, how I wish for the healing and comforting wind of the Spirit to blow with gentle strength through our chaotic and grieving world!

Even though all of us are in some stage of “shelter in place,” you will read in this issue of inSpirit how the mission continues for the Sisters of the Holy Cross during these unprecedented times. The sisters are finding new avenues for reaching out to those in need, using their creativity and imagination. Despite their inability to gather for Eucharist in many countries, they continue to find Christ truly present in the ministry of prayer and in the faces of those they “meet” on the news and in social media.

Although many of our generous donors now are working from home, responding to needs on the front lines, suffering with uncertainty about their employment, or sheltering in place as best they can, they continue to sacrifice to make dreams come true for those counting on assistance from our Ministry With the Poor and other funds. Our deep gratitude goes out to them all. It is heartening and inspiring to be part of this circle of care and concern.

I recently read that what is most needed in this time of crisis are grit and resilience. Grit, that is, focus and strength, is needed to endure. Resilience, that is, a combination of flexibility and rootedness, allows one to overcome the ever-changing realities of life. Both are needed to heal the woundedness of the world and enable people and all creation to thrive. These are qualities that are found in large measure in the persons of our sisters, Holy Cross Associates, employees, ministry partners, friends and generous benefactors. Thank you for being a strong, committed and transformative presence in the world. You are blessings!

The beautiful words of this Apache Blessing, which are echoed in the sentiments of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home, are my prayer for each of you and for all who labor in God’s vineyard this day.

May the sun bring you new energy by day,May the moon softly restore you by night,May the rain wash away your worries,May the breeze blow new strength into your being,May you walk gently through the world andknow its beauty all the days of your life.

In Holy Cross,

Sister M. Veronique (Wiedower), CSCPresident, Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross

Vol. 8, No. 2 – Spring/SummerinSpirit is published three times annually by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

Sisters of the Holy CrossFounded in 1841 in Le Mans, France, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross is an international and intercultural community of women religious whose motherhouse is in Notre Dame, Indiana. The Congregation serves in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru, Uganda and the United States.

Sisters of the Holy Cross are called to be witnesses of God’s transforming love for the life of the world. Their ministries focus on providing education and health care services, eradicating material poverty and ending discrimination—giving witness to God’s desire for the transformation of human hearts, human relationships and all creation. To learn more, visit www.cscsisters.org.

General AdministrationSister M. Veronique (Wiedower), CSCSister Catherine Osimo, CSCSister Esther Adjoa Entsiwah, CSCSister Kathleen Moroney, CSCSister Mary Tiernan, CSCSister Pushpa Teresa Gomes, CSCSister Suzanne Brennan, CSC

inSpirit TeamEditor: Amy H. Smessaert

Contributors: Holy Cross Sisters Ellen Mary (Taylor), Helene Sharp, Margaret Mary Lavonis, M. Rose Edward (Goodrow), M. Timothea (Kingston); Sister Florence Deacon, OSF; Leslie Choitz, Daniel Flowers, Hugo Garza, Ruth Johnson, Dana Taylor, Jessica Temple, Michelle Walters

Designer: Elissa Schmidt

Send story ideas, articles, photographs and comments to communications@cscsisters.org or Communications OfficeSisters of the Holy Cross100 Lourdes Hall – Saint Mary’sNotre Dame, Indiana 46556-5014(574) 284-5728, fax: (574) 284-5577

inSpirit is printed on Chorus Art Silk Text (contains 50 percent recycled with 25 percent post-consumer fiber).

© 2020 Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana. All rights reserved.

TABLEOFCONTENTS

ONTHECOVERInspired by her ministry with migrants in Monterrey and in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico, Sister Nieves Lidia Ortiz Galván, CSC, created this painting, “Migrant´s Heart.” “The butterflies represent the migrants. The heart is all the pain they are suffering and, at the same time, their hope to find happiness and love,” says Sister Nieves. “The sand represents the desert and the water depicts the rivers that they encounter along their journey. The footprints represent Jesus, who walks with them, and the dove is the Holy Spirit who guides their lives.”

Standing in solidarityUgandan sisters create

plan to minister to refugees

“Sharing love and comfort”

Sister’s service to hospice patients spans decades

Loving art

Transforming love creates the future

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As if it isn’t enough that maintenance technician Adam Reynolds skillfully keeps things running at Saint Catherine by the Sea Convent in Ventura, California, he also lends his gift of artistry to enhance the beauty and spiritual presence of the place.

At the Siena Prayer Center, a retreat facility on the convent grounds, Adam recently created a sculpture of praying hands suspended above a large stone. The idea for the piece bloomed from a simple request by Sister Gloria Valdovinos, CSC, coordinator of the center, to “make the meditation garden look nice.” The image of praying hands above a rock manifested in Adam’s mind, and he was able to come up with “a good device to hold the hands up and make it look natural.”

To create the piece, he first made a mold of his own hands using alginate, a material used for dental impressions. He then cast a first set of hands out of plaster of Paris to test the mold. Happy with the outcome, he cast a new set out of a concrete compound that would hold up to the elements. Next, with his artist’s touch, he applied several treatments of gold leaf and paint, and tinted and buffed wax to give the hands a bronze patina. After cementing a large stone into the ground, he epoxied a steel rod from the hands to the stone.

A passage from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It spoke to Adam throughout his creative process. The quote is delivered by exiled Duke Senior, who has been extricated from his high position by his brother and banished from the kingdom.

“And this our life, exempt from public haunt,Finds tongues in trees, books in the running

brooks,Sermons in stones, and good in everything.”“The words reinforce the idea of prayer being a

thank you for all of creation,” says Adam, noting the

sculpture’s appropriate placement in a natural setting.“I’ve always liked drawing and creating things,”

adds Adam, who studied the arts at the College of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In his free time, he also enjoys forging and welding iron sculptures, and last year he stained and stenciled a stone-looking path to create a labyrinth at the convent.

Visitors to the center are taken by the powerful imagery of the praying hands, says Sister Gloria, who is grateful for the beautiful gift. Each day she makes a point of passing by the sculpture, where she is called to pause and give time to prayer.

Ugandan sisters create plan to minister to refugees 

continued on the next page

Gratitude for creation, creativity

Standing in solidarityThis sculpture of praying hands suspended over a stone is a new feature in the meditation garden at the Siena Prayer Center at Saint Catherine by the Sea Convent in Ventura, California.Sisters of the Holy Cross, Inc., employee Adam Reynolds, inset, a maintenance technician at Saint Catherine’s, thought up and crafted the sculpture, which acknowledges the spiritual essence of the natural world.

Refugees with special needs gather with Sister Angelica Birungi, CSC, far left, in one of Uganda’s refugee camps. Sister Angelica is among the Holy Cross sisters in Fort Portal who conducted a needs assessment in two of the country’s 12 camps. Most of the 1.2 million refugees have come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda.

Sister Angelica greets a young refugee whose parents were killed during the war with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The life of a refugee can be fraught with danger and despair. Displaced families often have health issues, financial challenges and uncertainty about what tomorrow will bring. In many instances, families are torn apart. The Congregation’s Corporate Stand on Migration, affirmed in October 2019 (inSpirit Annual Giving Report, March 2020), is a declaration that urges the Sisters of the Holy Cross to address the needs of migrants as well as the causes of migration, and to intentionally partner with secular and religious leaders, groups and organizations.

Sister Semerita Mbambu, CSC, is responding to the stand and the call to live in solidarity with refugee and migrant brothers and sisters in Uganda. At the request of the nation’s government, Sister Semerita and other Holy Cross sisters in the Fort Portal community conducted a needs assessment in two of the country’s 12 refugee camps. Among the 12 settlements, Uganda has a total of about 1.2 million refugees.

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Through the assessment, the sisters discovered that many pastoral, spiritual and physical needs existed. Kyaka II, in the Kyegegwa district, is a receiving camp, with a daily influx of 600 to 800 refugees. By March 2020, Kyaka II’s population was nearly 124,000. Rwamwanja camp, in the Kamwenge district, no longer receives refugees. Its permanent settlers number around 72,500. Most of the refugees have come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda.

Assessment reveals desperate needs To conduct the needs assessment, the sisters identified

target areas in each camp to address a variety of issues related to livelihoods, gender, human rights, education, health, co-existence, and spiritual and pastoral care.

In Kyaka II, the sisters visited four of the nine zones, addressing specific groups, such as people with special needs, adult men and women, youth and unaccompanied children. In Rwamwanja, the sisters focused on three of the six zones with target groups including youth, married men and women, and people with special needs. At both camps, the sisters met with leaders among the refugees and the host communities where the camps are located. They also visited with other partner organizations that are already serving the refugees.

Among many findings, the assessment revealed that families headed by children and people with special needs were desperate for support. The sisters also learned that the refugees would benefit from training in a trade, as well as

assistance with accessing health services and education.

“We want to stand in solidarity with the refugees as a sign of presence and love in fostering justice [for them] and enabling them to realize their potential in the host country,” says Sister Semerita.

Donors respond to help refugees Based on the great needs revealed

through the assessment, Sister Semerita was awarded Ministry With the Poor funds to implement a plan that engages the refugees and the host communities. The plan is a multipronged, collaborative approach to improving the health and well-being of refugees in the camps and supporting the engagement of the host communities, focusing on the areas of health, food and nutrition, and skills training.

“Health is a very crucial thing for the refugees,” Sister Semerita notes, “especially those in Kyaka II, since it is a receiving settlement. We want to purchase 200 mattresses to support the bedding capacity of the health facility there.”

The sisters will conduct a series of meetings for the refugees and the host communities to explain their plan and gather support and participation.

The plan calls for providing food and nutrition information to 40 child-headed families, whose members range in age from 3 to 17. These families have unique challenges, such as the absence of parents and parenting, hunger, immigration and registration issues, and the lack of spiritual and psycho-social support. Unfortunately, some child-headed families are exploited by other refugee families.

Child-headed families also need a way to earn income. The Fort Portal sisters plan to train 100 children in each camp in soap and craft making. With assistance from the Ministry With the Poor Fund, the training will take place over the course of a year and give these young families hope where before they had none.

Poultry project To help families in the host communities as well as the

settlements, the sisters want to initiate a poultry project to provide income as well as an ongoing food source. The plan is to start with 30 families in each host community and each camp, for a total of 120 families benefiting from the project.

“It is interesting that the host communities and

refugees have a firm relationship on how they conduct their community affairs,” Sister Semerita explains. “We realized that the host communities help by allowing refugees to work for them and pay them and/or give them food. We also found that both the refugees and host communities belong to some of the same groups, where they do a number of development activities.”

It is against this background that the Fort Portal sisters seek to support these groups with the poultry project.

Global pandemic Of course, with the global COVID-19 pandemic, the

sisters are finding even more needs. The refugees can no longer visit the neighborhoods in the host communities where they found food and work. They relied upon these connections for often what was their only meal of the day.

“I call upon the well-wishers to support the migrants who are now suffering, not having anything to eat,” says Sister Semerita. “It is very sad, especially with the breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women spending the whole day without food.”

As funds allow, the sisters will reach out to supply food to these vulnerable people, while keeping in line with the health measures the government has issued.

“Our goals are many,” Sister Semerita notes. “We want to create awareness about the human rights and other rights of the refugees. We hope to empower them economically through learning skills to manage their basic needs. We also will strive to complement the existing pastoral and spiritual interventions among the refugees. With God’s help and guidance, we will see this done.”

“We want to create awareness about the

human rights and other rights of the refugees. We

hope to empower them economically through

learning skills to manage their basic needs. We also will strive to complement the existing pastoral and

spiritual interventions among the refugees. With God’s help and guidance,

we will see this done.” — Sister Semerita Mbambu, CSC

continued from the previous page

Sister Semerita Mbambu, CSC, left, visits with unaccompanied children, some of whom lost their parents during wartime, in one of Uganda’s refugee camps. As a result of the sisters’ assessment of refugees’ needs, plans are in the works to provide food and nutrition information to 40 child-headed families and train them in making soap and crafts to earn an income.

The Holy Cross sisters’ assessment of refugees’ needs in two Ugandan camps revealed that families headed by children, pictured here with Sister Semerita Mbambu, CSC, right, and people with special needs are desperate for support. The refugees would benefit from training in a trade, as well as access to health services and education. We want to stand with them, says Sister Semerita, “as a sign of presence and love in fostering justice [for them] and enabling them to realize their potential in the host country.”

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The stories Sister Nieves Lidia Ortiz Galván, CSC, hears sometimes leave her speechless. Yet, in her work with asylum-seeking migrants in Monterrey and in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico, listening to these individuals and being present with them is the crux of her ministry.

Loving artSister Nieves joins migrants in their doubt

and fear, many times feeling powerless herself, as pleas to God seemingly go unanswered. “Where is God in all of this? Why does God allow children to die?” ask those seeking refuge at the Casanicolas and Casa INDI shelters, where Sister Nieves serves.

“These questions make me humble because I do not know. I am one of them, in that sense,” Sister Nieves says. Sometimes, she adds, she feels helpless for not being able to do more, for not having all the answers. “There are men and women who feel angry with God, and I understand that because sometimes I do too.”

When words fail her, Sister Nieves often turns to pencil and paper, sketching the faces of those she encounters, memorializing them, their struggles, hopes and faith in her notebook. Through this practice, she says,

“I feel they stay with me, and it helps me to pray for them in a deeper way.”

She also encourages visitors to draw, knowing that this creative transfer of feeling and experience can be easier and more cathartic for some than verbal expression. “Everyone enjoys drawing or painting,” she adds, “and it helps them to relax for a while.” Drawing also prompts individuals to visualize and share the dreams they pursue.

Sister Nieves recalls her conversations with 86-year-old Don Fernando, a visitor at Casa INDI. While she drew him, he would open up to her, comfortable sharing the stories of his life. “He enjoyed being drawn and asked for his portrait as a gift,” she says. A week later, on December 12, 2019, Don Fernando died unexpectedly. God accompanied him on the journey, as did Sister Nieves, her portrait of him all he carried.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Holy Cross Sister Nieves Lidia Ortiz Galván’s sketches pay tribute to the many visitors seeking refuge at the Casa INDI and Casanicolas shelters in Nuevo León, Mexico.

Don Fernando, a visitor to the Casa INDI shelter for migrants in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, opens up to Sister Nieves Lidia Ortiz Galván, CSC, as she sketches his image.Photo by Brother Nicholas Perez, CSC

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A reflection by Sister M. Veronique (Wiedower), CSCOur lives—and the lives of peoples around the globe—

have been disrupted and, in many instances, put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ways we lived, worked, served and worshiped as 2020 dawned seem like a distant memory. And yet, our call to the resurrection work of being transforming love for the life of the world remains unchanged; indeed, transforming love is more urgently needed than ever.

Sister Nancy Sylvester, IHM, writing about her work of contemplative dialogue, says: “This pandemic is bringing home to us that we are living in a time of chaos where all the old structures are breaking down. The fault lines of disparity of income, lack of health care access, partisan political paralysis, dependence on fossil fuels are deepening and revealing structures and systems that no longer can bring about our planet’s healthy future. … Yet we all share the challenge of how we will emerge from this time to create our future.”

I believe this urgent challenge is not about a future that will emerge next month or next year, but a future that is now. We create our future today, as citizens of this planet, members of the Holy Cross family, and colleagues and partners in ministry. Our future is rooted in signs of hope and in our response to the critical needs engaging us today as we work and pray for our world. I invite your reflection on the following messages of hope and pressing needs, shared by our sisters around the world.

• There is no “getting back to normal.” Business will not and should not go back to what it has been.

• Our sponsored schools are closed or have some classes that are being taught remotely. Our administrators and teachers are diving deeper into what education of the whole person—mind and heart—means for the children and young people of today.

• As they are able, sisters are, with appropriate precautions, making pastoral visits to some people in nearby villages, sharing with them the little we have in terms of food, the Word of God and time.

• We are in solidarity with our sisters worldwide in prayer and in spirit, asking God’s intervention in this crisis. We join with our lay colleagues in Liturgies of the Word with “spiritual communion,” while we long

for physically gathering around the table of Word and Sacrament. 

• Less traffic and pollution from big businesses mean that the air and water are clearer and cleaner, although water is urgently needed in some places. While sheltering in place, many sisters are engaging in gardening and other activities, such as sewing masks and gowns for health care workers, to contribute toward our well-being and that of our neighbors. 

• Many people who count on a daily wage are without work and basic necessities. They take to the streets in hope of receiving food and relief materials distributed by organizations and individuals. Elsewhere, food

markets are sources of contagion as people flock to buy groceries without protection

and without keeping the proper distance. Sisters bought 200 camping tents for the homeless; sent donations for food staples to groups working with indigenous peoples and others in need; make hundreds of meals weekly for homeless persons; and support projects

to get food to migrants.

• Stock markets around the world have crashed, and investment income that previously

provided security is nonexistent. The generosity of donors has enabled us to purchase a bus for schoolchildren as well as desperately needed medical supplies and equipment. Dioceses have established coronavirus charity funds, and the Congregation’s COVID Relief Fund is growing. We have simplified our lifestyles and share with our neighbors.

• Social distancing is creating a need for more mental health resources. Our sisters support one another emotionally. We have received many cards from alums and friends encouraging us in our isolation. 

Amid the chaos and difficulties of our lives, we are blessed by Transforming Love. Sisters, Holy Cross Associates, benefactors, friends and employees continue to reach out to those in need. Our solidarity with one another gives us courage and strength to be about many large and small works of resurrection. God calls us to be transforming love, to create a future in these times that cry out for healing and wholeness. We carry on as people of faith, hope and compassion.

“These signs of the times

cry out for healing and wholeness.”

—2019 CHAPTER DIRECTION

Transforming love creates the futureSisters of the Holy Cross reach out to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clockwise, from top left: Sister Lillian Nyakaisiki scoops flour for patients at Kyembogo Holy Cross Health Centre, Kirinda, Uganda. Sisters Thecla Dinila Nokrek, left, and Sister Cecilia Karuna Corraya distribute food to impoverished residents of Pirgacha Parish, Tangail, Bangladesh. Sisters Maria de Lourdes de Deus Pimentel, left, and Elizangela Matos dos Santos serve 250 hot boxed lunches weekly for people who are homeless in São Paulo, Brazil. Sister Mary Mulligan sews face masks for employees and sisters at the Congregation’s motherhouse at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana.

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Raising self-worth Widows/widowers find encouragement in new trades

Farming pigs, poultry or cows guarantees food for the table. But among widows and widowers in Bugembe Parish, Jinja, Uganda, livestock keeping has led to livelihoods that also feed self-respect.

In her ministry, Sister Nancy Rose Njeri Njoroge, CSC, provides pastoral care and conducts social service work with overlooked members of Ugandan society, among them orphans, individuals with disabilities, and widows and widowers. As a matter of cultural norm, she explains, those who suffer the loss of a spouse—specifically women—also lose their belongings, rights and dignity.

Commonly, the death of a husband is seen as suspicious, explains Sister Nancy, so those left behind are stigmatized and often segregated from their community. “It is very difficult for them to fit into a society that regards them as incomplete,” she says. The women “hardly come out, imagining how society is looking at them,” and often live in fear.

That fear is not unfounded. The elders of the deceased husband’s clan soon swoop in and seize all property and possessions, evicting the wife and children. In most cases, Sister Nancy says, the women accept this as ‘normal’ and are often forced to rent living quarters or return to their maternal homes.

Hoping to help the bereaved express and process their grief over their personal losses, Sister Nancy and other local sisters started a support group where widows and widowers can meet monthly to share their life stories and

ways they are coping. At first, says Sister Nancy, “it was hard to even bring them together because none of them wanted to be called a widow or a widower.” However, with much encouragement, 20 women and one man courageously attended the first gathering.

After talking and praying with them, and learning about their specific needs, Sister Nancy launched a livestock project—funded through donations to the Ministry With the Poor Fund—to help the group’s members develop skills and trades to generate incomes. Among the group, that now numbers 80-plus, more than 25 members have embraced livestock keeping, while others have taken up tailoring and baking. “Through their meetings and interactions and group reflections together, they have become more aware of their potential, and they are tapping into it,” Sister Nancy says.

“We have witnessed a great change … from dejected faces to smiling faces, from sadness to joy, and from being isolated to being accepted. Once more, they anticipate life and are able to recognize and express their worth.”

Sister M. Martin de Porres, CSC (Clara Barbara Ostafinski)March 31, 1925–January 27, 2020Entered from Detroit, MichiganInitial profession on August 15, 1945

Clara Barbara Ostafinski was the youngest of nine children born to Frank Ostafinski and Angela Orzech Ostafinski who emigrated to the United States from Poland, settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Clara was born on March 31, 1925.

Six months after she entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana, Clara received the holy habit on August 15, 1943. Her religious name, Sister M. Martin de Porres, was of special significance to her. Her patron saint, Martin de Porres, was the son of a 16th century Spanish nobleman in Peru and an African woman freed from slavery. Early on, Sister had a desire to work among African-Americans to foster interracial harmony and did so in East Chicago, Indiana, and Cairo, Illinois, throughout the 1950s.

Sister Martin de Porres once wrote, “My ministry has been varied from ‘day one’ … teacher of grades three through eight, principal in three elementary schools, and pastoral assistant in four parishes.” The major portion of her school ministry was in the American Midwest.

In 1975 Sister began ministry in Texas as a pastoral assistant in parishes with significant Hispanic populations. She also served as treasurer and councilor for the Congregation’s Southern Region. Following a sabbatical in 1987, Sister served at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, followed by St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish, in Tacoma, Washington.

Sister Martin de Porres embraced the ministry of prayer as an amazing grace when she retired to Saint Mary’s Convent in 2003. She wrote, “I want to continue to grow with my community and to support it in every way possible. Thank God for Holy Cross!”

Though Sister will not be present for her 75th jubilee, her example of quiet resolve against racism and injustices reminds one of the true meaning of the biblical jubilee: the restoration of human dignity. Thank God for Sister Martin de Porres, a woman who was able to embrace one last radical transition—to risen life in her 94th year! 

Sister Mary Ellen McGlynn, CSC (Sister M. Grace Alma)January 31, 1937–March 2, 2020Entered from Washington, D.C.Initial profession on August 15, 1959

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is better than riches.” Mary Ellen McGlynn cherished the name she was given by her parents, Edward F. McGlynn and Grace O’Dea McGlynn, in baptism at Holy Name Church, Washington, D.C.

Mary Ellen McGlynn grew up in the District of Columbia with siblings Grace, Edward and Patricia. In high school she was drawn to the Sisters of the Holy Cross who taught her at St. Patrick’s Academy. She entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross in September 1955 at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana.

Upon reception of the holy habit in August 1956, she received a new name in religion, Sister Mary Grace Alma, in honor of the Blessed Mother. Years later, on the night she died, a dear friend, Sister Amalia Marie (Rios), CSC, and other sisters and companions who cared for her, sang the “Hail Mary” which calls upon “Mary, full of grace … [to] pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” In 1967, Sister returned to her baptismal name following the Second Vatican Council.

Sister Mary Ellen McGlynn spent all but eight years in elementary education in the Washington, D.C., metro area, serving in Catholic schools as a teacher or as a principal, from 1958 to 2003 in Alexandria, Virginia, and in Greenbelt, Kensington, Garrett Park and Silver Spring, Maryland. She served at St. Paul the Apostle School in New York City, 1964-1972. An engaging teacher, Sister had good rapport with students in her religion classes, and her social studies classes were alive because of her enthusiasm. She was known to show care and concern for youth as individuals.

Sister Mary Ellen also served as an Eastern Area councilor, 1998-2004, followed by continued ministry to the Congregation until retirement in 2009.

Sister Mary Ellen McGlynn, who lived faithfully in community as a vowed Sister of the Holy Cross for 60 years, leaves behind a good name, more precious than silver or gold. Whatever honor or inner healing she experienced was due to the Holy Name of Jesus Christ and its power in her life. She is now whole and enjoys God’s peace.

GRANT THEM PEACEThese Sisters of the Holy Cross were called home to God since the last issue of inSpirit. While we feel their loss,

we rejoice in their newfound lives. To make a memorial contribution, please visit www.cscsisters.org/donate-to-the-sisters-of-the-holy-cross/.

ABOVE: During a workshop led by an area attorney, widows and widowers learned of their legal right to retain their land and possessions after the death of a spouse.LEFT: Seeking to forge relationships with and among widows and widowers in Bugembe Parish, Sisters of the Holy Cross started a support group to help them share their grief and rediscover their talents and value as individuals. Some participants have taken up farming pigs and chickens as a source of food and income.

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Sister Marilla (Dyer), CSC (Mary Marie Dyer) September 3, 1920—May 9, 2020Entered from Salt Lake City, UtahInitial profession on August 15, 1946

Mary Marie Dyer was the oldest of three children of Herbert Clinton Dyer, a rancher, and Nellie McRae, a homemaker. Born on September 3, 1920, in Kemmerer, Wyoming, Mary Dyer first met the Holy Cross sisters at Saint Joseph Grade School, in Ogden, Utah. Prior to entering the

Congregation, Mary attended courses at the University of Wyoming, Laramie; taught school in Alto, Wyoming; and later was a supervisor at the U.S. Army supply depot in Ogden during World War II.

Her brief exposure to teaching was a prelude to her teaching ministry as a Sister of the Holy Cross, which spanned 47 years in seven Western states. Sister Marilla said that her greatest joy was her service in elementary and secondary education as a teacher and administrator. Sister found added joy as a eucharistic minister, bringing communion to nursing home residents and assisting with

weekend retreats at Our Lady of the Mountains Retreat House in Ogden.

In 1987 Sister Marilla managed the central supply store of Holy Cross Shared Services at Saint Mary’s for eight years. From 1995 to 2004, she ministered at Our Lady of Holy Cross Care Center, San Pierre, Indiana, as part of the Sister Presence Program. When Sister’s health declined, she retired to the motherhouse at Saint Mary’s and embraced her new assignment to a ministry of prayer.

On Sister Marilla’s 95th birthday, Sunee Fleshman, a former Saint Mary’s College student, brought balloons to Saint Mary’s Convent to celebrate the occasion. Sunee said, “When I think about the blessings her presence brought to my life, it’s hard to imagine how many more lives she must have touched in 95 years of life! I wanted to celebrate that.” Reaching 99 years, Sister Marilla continued to touch more lives until God called home this faithful woman, whose gifts have returned a hundredfold.

In the month of Mary, Sister Marilla died in Saint Mary’s Convent on May 9, 2020. The sisters gathered soon after for a devotional service in honor of the Blessed Mother and included Sister Marilla in their prayers. Sister is now welcomed into God’s household with the Risen Christ, his mother and all the saints.

Sister M. St. Brigid (Bromeling), CSC (Hilda Margaret Bromeling)September 1, 1916–April 22, 2020Entered from Eaton Rapids, MichiganInitial profession on August 15, 1944

When Hilda Bromeling applied to the Sisters of the Holy Cross in May 1941, after graduating in 1940 from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, her motivation was “to serve God and to remove the obstacles which hinder my perfection.” Hilda spent over 75 years seeking perfection

in charity as a consecrated woman religious as Sister Mary St. Brigid. There were obstacles along the way, whether due to her personal history or restless spirit. The last obstacle was rolled away on Wednesday of the second week of Easter. Her life has been perfected in death.

Bromeling was Hilda’s name by adoption. She was born in Woodlawn (now Aliquippa), Pennsylvania, the youngest of eight children born to Czechoslovakian immigrants Joseph Neivelt and Irma (Erma) Malasko. When the children’s mother died, the three youngest siblings were placed in “a home for adoption.” Merton and Margaret Blacker Bromeling adopted Hilda, providing for an excellent education and extensive travel.

Sister St. Brigid earned a master’s in theology in 1952 from Saint Mary’s School of Theology. Her first 28 years of ministry were mostly in elementary education in Utah, California, Indiana and Michigan, where she specialized in catechetics and methods of teaching. Sister taught methods to young sisters preparing for the teaching ministry in the 1960s.

In her pursuit of perfection, Sister St. Brigid always wanted to be or do something more. While being drawn to the contemplative life, she simultaneously felt compelled to serve as a missionary in the new Holy Cross foundation in São Paulo, Brazil, where she taught at the Colégio Santa Maria, 1956-1961. Later, in 1971, having given two previous summers of service in the leper settlement of Kaulapapa on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, she lived there for a year to write for, visit with and read to those who had leprosy.

Sister St. Brigid returned to Saint Mary’s in 1972 and served the Congregation in various capacities for many more years. She retired to a fully contemplative life of prayer in 2000 at Saint Mary’s Convent, where she died the morning of April 22, 2020. Sister St. Brigid’s heart now rests in the Risen Lord for all eternity.

Sister M. Jacinta (Millan), CSC (María Socorro Millán) May 13, 1929–April 15, 2020 Entered from Ventura, CaliforniaInitial profession on February 2, 1950

Sister Jacinta was gifted with a bicultural, bilingual upbringing which gave direction to her life of ministry. Her parents, Josefa Pulido and José Millán, were immigrants from Mexico who settled in Ventura, California. She was born in 1929 in Ventura and baptized in honor

of Mary of Perpetual Help, María Socorro, the fourth of five children.

Sister Jacinta recalled her decision to become a Sister of the Holy Cross: “The Lord … helped me to bring together several concepts: the happiness and joy of the sisters in community, their joy in their ministry of love and care, and their prayer life which seemed to radiate through their selflessness and humanness.” She entered the Congregation in 1947 and, upon reception of the holy habit in 1948, received her religious name in honor of one of the children to whom Our Lady of Fatima appeared. Sister Jacinta made initial profession of vows in 1950.   

Sister was an elementary and secondary teacher from 1950 to 1974 in Catholic schools staffed by Sisters of the Holy Cross in Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Mountain View, California. She was also very involved in northern California with Cursillo retreats, the United Farmworkers, and peace movements.

Hispanic and home mission work became Sister Jacinta’s full-time ministry in 1974. She helped found and then spent nine years establishing Centro Pastoral, later known as the Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry of San José, California. She also was a founding member of the Holy Cross Hispanic Ministry Committee.

Beginning in 1984, Sister Jacinta ministered with immigrant Spanish-speaking communities in Richfield and Salt Lake City, Utah, the latter at Holy Cross Ministries of Utah, 1999-2009. She mentored seminarians at Assumption Seminary for the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas, 1989-1993. Later she worked in parishes in Monterrey and Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico.

In 2009 Sister Jacinta retired to Saint Catherine by the Sea Convent, Ventura. She moved in 2016 to Saint Mary’s Convent, Notre Dame, Indiana, where she died the morning of April 15, 2020, the Wednesday of Easter Week. Those who predeceased her now welcome her “con abrazos,” with hugs. We celebrate with Sister Jacinta her Easter joy!

Celebrating culture Museum shares Garo culture and Holy Cross influence “He told them, ‘Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.’” —Mark 16:15

by Sister M. Bruno (Beiro), CSC The Ama A∙chik Rasong (ama–mother, A∙chik–

Garo tribes, Rasong–glory and praise) Museum, which showcases the wisdom and cultural richness of the Garo culture, opened with an inauguration ceremony on January 10, 2020, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The museum, which celebrates the history and culture of the local Garo tribes, also commemorates the missionaries who brought the Christian faith to the region, notably Holy Cross religious who answered the call they heard: “Go out.”

The Garo people’s lineage emerges from Tibet, and their culture, traditions and history are beautiful and interesting. The tribe also has its history of struggle, which includes its exodus from East Pakistan in 1964.

Through each trial, the tribe learned how to retain its dignity and identity, and the museum exhibits depict these developments.

The museum “will help young people rediscover their culture, language, customs and food,” said museum committee member Apurbo Mrong in a January 13, 2020, online article published by . “Due to globalization, the culture, language and tools have almost completely disappeared. … So now, new generations can be inspired by their traditions and roots,” as they discover them at the museum.

Traditionally, “Garos venerated nature. Nature gave them life, and they also worked hard. The Garo tribe experienced much suffering and injustices,” quoted Mr. Mrong for AsiaNews.it. “Then came the Catholic

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missionaries who started preaching God’s message. … We also want to remember their contributions with this museum.”

In 1963, at the invitation of Archbishop Lawrence Leo Graner, CSC, of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, the Sisters of the Holy Cross started their mission in Ranikhong, Mymensingh, after the Salesian Sisters of Mary Immaculate withdrew from ministry there. Since 1967, the sisters have worked in area schools, hostels and sewing centers, and ministered in villages in Jalchatra and Pirgacha parishes.

Opening the museum’s inauguration, Bishop Ponen Paul Kubi, CSC, of the Mymensingh Diocese, who is a member of the Garo people, shared a prayer and blessing with 300 Garo Catholics who were present for the event. Several Sisters of the Holy Cross also attended, including Sister M. Bruno (Beiro), who began her ministry with the Garo people in the late 1960s, as well as as Sisters Violet Rodrigues, Area of Asia coordinator, Tuli Drong, Parboti (Gomes), Mala Kubi, Susuma Costa, Sheema Purification, and Semaria Tongpiar.

The two-story museum also features an auditorium named for Father Eugene E. Homrich, CSC, who worked for 60 years in the area. “Finally, my desire to have the museum comes true,” said Bishop Kubi. “I am very happy to be able to open it.”

ABOVE: Artifacts familiarize young members of the Garo tribe with their history by pointing to the culture, customs and activities of their ancestors.LEFT: On the road to the Ama A∙chik Rasong Museum in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, Apurbo Mrong, museum committee member and cousin of Holy Cross Sister Runu Mrong, pauses with Sister M. Bruno (Beiro), CSC, who was missioned to the area in the late 1960s.Photos by Apurbo Mrong

Local Sisters of the Holy Cross and 300 Garos attended the January 10, 2020, opening of the Ama A∙chik Rasong Museum in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, which pays tribute to the local Garo culture and the religious who brought Christianity to the region.

CIRCLE OF SAINTS

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Mail to: Sisters of the Holy Cross, Development Office, 407 Bertrand Hall–Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5000; (574) 284-5641

Tell us your CONTACT PREFERENCES

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September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, a congregational feast day when we celebrate the Holy Cross women who have gone before us. As we remember them in prayer and thanksgiving, we invite you to remember deceased relatives and friends who have paved the way for your life. Send their names to the Development Office and we will include them in our Circle of Saints.

Mail this form to the address at the bottom of the page or email your

list to development@cscsisters.org with the subject: Circle of Saints. Names must be received by September 5.

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Help the sisters celebrate!Jubilee may have been postponed for this year, but the occasion is still vitally important. Help

Sisters Miriam P. (Cooney), Maria Regina (Gomes), Sharon Ann Mihm, Kathleen Johnson, Linda Kors, Mitali Mree, Mala Kubi and Cecilia Karuna Corraya celebrate their milestone jubilees. A note or card can be sent to the Development Office and we will forward it for you. Or order our 2020 Jubilee card from our website at www.cscsisters.org/order-a-remembrance-card-2/.

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“Sharing love and comfort”Sister’s service to hospice patients spans decades

Sister Carmel Marie (Sallows), CSC, has seen firsthand how hospice can make a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families. Touched personally by the hospice care provided to her mother and sister by dedicated staff and volunteers, Sister Carmel committed herself to this ministry of compassionate care.

“My mother died in 1997, and I was just so warmed by the attentiveness of the hospice staff,” she says. “I made a pledge to my mother that I would give back as a volunteer in appreciation. Since that day in 1997, I have kept that promise.”

For more than 22 years, Sister Carmel has volunteered nearly every day at the Mishawaka, Indiana-based Center for Hospice Care (CFHC). Since 1980, CFHC has helped patients and their loved ones face the end of life in the best way possible, providing comfort and eliminating pain. In her volunteer role, Sister Carmel visits patients and their families almost every week. She listens and prays with them, but most importantly, she is present for whatever their needs may be. Sister Carmel’s main goal is sharing love and comfort. She has also worked with grieving children at weekend camps, conducted home visitations with suffering families and helped with fundraising for the CFHC.

In 2007 Sister Carmel was awarded the John E. Krueger, M.D., Hospice Caring Award. In 2018 the CFHC presented the Helping Hands Award to Sister Carmel and established a fund in her name: the Sister Carmel Helping Hands Fund. This fund aids those who do not have the financial means to receive the treatment, medication and services needed at the end of life.

“I am so honored to have the Hospice Helping Hands Fund named in my honor, knowing that no one, regardless of their ability to pay, will be turned away. As a Sister of the Holy Cross, it is especially meaningful to me because we have always had a ‘preferential option for the poor,’” Sister Carmel said upon receiving the Helping Hands Award.

This year Sister Carmel was awarded Ministry With the Poor funds to help extend CFHC’s outreach in the South Bend, Indiana, community. As for her more than two decades of ministering with hospice patients, Sister Carmel says, “I am humbled. I don’t count my years; it seems like a short time but a very good time. I will continue volunteering as long as I am able.”- - - - - -T

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MOREAU GARDEN

Mail to: Sisters of the Holy Cross, Development Office, 407 Bertrand Hall–Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5000; (574) 284-5641

Gardens are a space for reflection, gratitude and connection with our loved ones. The Moreau Garden Book of Remembrance offers you a place to make a gift in honor or in memory of someone who will be remembered in the daily prayers of our novices and sisters. Add your name or the name of someone you love by sending the form below and a minimum donation of $200, which will benefit our Ministry With the Poor and Retirement funds.

Print name as it should appear in the book on the line below (up to 42 characters and spaces).

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Method of Payment: Moreau GardenEnclosed is my tax-deductible gift of $200 or more for each listing (up to 42 characters and spaces). Amount $ _______

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2020 CHRISTMAS CARDSCelebrate the joy and promise

of Christmas by sending your friends and family this brilliant card designed by Sister Alma Mary (Anderson), CSC.

Your cards will be personalized to tell your recipients that you have given a gift in their names and they will be remembered in prayer throughout the year. (The amount of your gift is not revealed.) Your tax-deductible donation will help our Ministry With the Poor Fund. Order early; cards will not be mailed until after Thanksgiving.

To view and order the card online, go to www.cscsisters.org/order-a-remembrance-card-2/. You may also order by phone: (574) 284-5641; or mail: using the form below. (Please list additional recipients on separate paper.)

Method of Payment: Christmas CardsAmount $ _____________

Check payable to: Sisters of the Holy Cross

Credit card: ❑ Visa ❑ MasterCard ❑ Discover ❑ American Express

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❑ Christmas greeting

❑ in memory of

REJOICEREJOICE

REJOICE

LOVE WAS BORN

As Angels Sang the Son’s Song

PROMISEPEACE

HARMONY

ABOVE: Holy Cross Sisters Carmel Marie (Sallows), left, and Mary Pius (Schreiner) join other volunteers for a Center for Hospice Care fundraising event.LEFT: Sister M. Carlita (Hammes), CSC, left, and Sister Carmel Marie (Sallows), CSC, enjoy a light-hearted moment at the motherhouse at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana.Photos courtesy of Center for Hospice Care and Lollymarie Photography

This gift is: ❑ in honor ❑ in memory

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My parents were married in 1932 and lived in central Indiana. Times were difficult as we 12 children came along in the Great Depression and World War II. At 5 years of age, we each received a homemade fishing pole and a little hoe to help garden.  

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Indiana, always sat in the pew behind us at Mass. I loved it when they invited me to sit with them. I wanted to be a missionary from childhood when I saw pamphlets about children who needed help. It was just what I wanted to do: help families! 

When I was in high school, our diocese promoted a vocational encounter, which led me to meet Sister Kathryn Marie (Gibbons), CSC, [then] Midwest provincial, in South Bend, Indiana. There, I began my way in Holy Cross. In 1953 I received the habit and a new name: Sister M. Rose Martin (Rose of Lima and Martin de Porres, saints of South America). My first mission experiences involved teaching elementary grades in Illinois.  

In 1959 Mother Kathryn Marie, [who became]the Congregation’s superior general, invited me to “come prepare for foreign missions.” Two years later, I was sent to Brazil—what joy!  

I taught at our school, Colégio Santa Maria, which grew rapidly, becoming one of the best and most complete educational complexes of São Paulo. 

When Vatican II came, it brought an “openness” that helped God’s kingdom move forward. There was such joy in all that had to be done: literacy, land and water rights, homes to be built, health to be restored. I was

involved with a government program to end illiteracy and get personal documents for everyone. 

In 1973 I was sent to Paraná. The Church began the Pastoral Land Movement because almost no one had land titles. Families had been in these areas for generations. The battles with big landowners brought violence and deaths. We also began literacy classes and formed women’s groups. In 47 years in Paraná, we [Pastoral Land Movement] have [acquired documents for] and settled 14,000 families who can support themselves. 

These 59 years in Brazil have been fantastic, but I haven’t stopped for rest yet. At 85, I feel there is still much to be done! Welcome to Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, Brazil! 

100 Lourdes Hall – Saint Mary’s Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5014

A PAGE IN MY JOURNEYSISTER M. ROSE MARTIN (TRAGESSER), CSC

Sister M. Rose Martin (Tragesser), CSC, right, ministers with the people of Paraná, Brazil.